The Fourth LoveMe Member
by TotalOtaku07
Summary: The LoveMe Division welcomes a new member.  But why is Kyoko so eager to help her new teammate to graduate?  Will they both survive in the end, and possibly find love?
1. Chapter 1

**Title: THE FOURTH LOVE ME MEMBER  
**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own SKIP BEAT!

**Setting:** After the filming for BJ's movie

Summary: The LoveMe Division welcomes a new member. But why is Kyoko so eager to help her new teammate to graduate? Will they both survive in the end, and possibly find love?

* * *

**Chapter 1:** Lory's Wrath

Lory Takarada, President of the prestigious talent agency LME, is a naturally jolly person. He likes to mastermind some ridiculous games for the sake of his mission to propagate love among his employees and to the world in general, but he always meant well in the end. He's not one given to anger and he does not voice out his disappointments in a way that may hurt the people around him. In short, he's a nice guy. Weird - yes, but nice. That's why one morning that everyone heard the eccentric president shouting at someone, they were completely dumbfounded, especially, when that 'someone' is none other than Tsuruga Ren, LME's number one star and the most desirable man in Japan and the most gentleman of all gentlemen.

"Out of my office!" Lory bellowed. His words befit his image today, as he is wearing his Grecian robes and holding a glowing toy in the shape of a lightning bolt. His white locks and resplendent white beard fit his image as the King of the gods.

Ren was already walking away and behind him, his ever present manager was running frantically, briefcase still half open.

Yashiro had never seen the President that angry. His face was practically livid. They were supposed to meet the President today for a special project that he, himself, chose for his number one actor. But not thirty minutes earlier, when Ren was handed the script and when the President started describing the story behind the romance drama with so much passion, the actor suddenly interrupted.

"I'm sorry, President Takarada, but I cannot accept this project" he said in his perfect gentleman manner.

The President scrutinized the young celebrity before answering. "So, you are familiar with the author Mizushima Kei? Because that is the only reason I can think of why you would not accept the role based on the man's life"

Ren remained silent.

"Hmpf. I knew it. It hits too close to home, does it not? You and him, you are alike in so many ways. That's why I only thought of you to portray the lead character" Lory huffed.

"With all due respect, Sir, I am not sure of what you are talking about. But I have just accepted another drama offer last week and filming for my secret role was just completed. I just want to make sure I'll be able to handle all my commitments. Accepting another drama will be too much for my schedule. It would be too unprofessional of me to say yes to something I cannot fully commit myself into. I am pretty sure you will find another actor who will be perfectly suited for this part" was the actor's reply.

All this while, Yashiro only watched the verbal sparring. No one has raised their voices but the tension inside the room was palpable. After working with his charge for more than 3 years, he's more or less attuned to Ren's moods and slight changes in expression. He can tell that there is more to the actor's rejection as well as the President's obvious disappointment. Even the butler, dressed as Mercury the messenger to the gods, has raised his eyebrows.

"Is this your final answer?" the President asked as he stood up from his magnificent throne and turned away to look outside his enormous office windows.

"Yes" Ren answered, calmly.

"Tch. I am sorely disappointed in you, my boy. I thought you have already learned something these past few months. I had high hopes. I hoped that you will finally be able to express love—"

"I'm sorry to disappoint you Mr. President. But I don't understand why it always had to be about – love – when I have just stated my rea—" Ren tried to continue.

But then Zeus turned around and stared at him with eyes full of wrath.

"Why? Why does it always have to be about love? Have you not learned anything under my tutelage boy?" he shouted with an impressively commanding voice.

Even the tall actor, who, to Yashiro's view has no fear for anything, was startled almost out of his seat. Yashiro trembled. He looked at Sebastian, but the butler only gazed at him and his charge with a look almost similar to pity.

"What I cannot accept aside from lack of respect to LOVE –" Lory added as he took a step towards the immobilized actor "is LYING" he said with gritted teeth.

"You!" he pointed at Yashiro "Don't accept any more offers for this man" obviously referring to Ren. "You both will get your instructions from me starting today. This will be your punishment until you have finally learned your lesson" he said, staring intently at the tall actor.

And with that, like a magnificent god that was his role of choice for the day, Lory turned around and dismissed them.

They left, stunned at the President's complete transformation. Well, at least, Yashiro was. His charge remained looking almost unaffected. He wished he took a rain check and just asked Kyoko-chan too act as Ren's temporary manager again. He could have avoided being part of this whole mess. _This was a record of sorts_, he thought as he looked at Ren. _My friend, you have just royally pissed off the king of LME and you are doomed. No, I mean we, you and I are both doomed. _ Yashiro began to wonder what reason he would write in his resignation letter. _Stress? Fatigue from heavy workload? Emotional breakdown? Maybe all of the above._

* * *

"Hello? Sawara speaking" the middle-aged mustachioed man answered his ringing phone. "Yes, .. er—who? Yes, of course I heard you, Sir but why-? No no, I don't have any complaints Sir! Yes, I will take care of it right away, I'll do what I can. Goodbye Mr President"

He sighed. _Who would have thought? What is the President scheming about again?  
_

He picked up his phone again and dialed the Costume Department: "Hello, Takekuji? Sawara here. Yes, yes I know, but this is urgent, instructions from the President himself. I need a new Pink LoveMe uniform. What? Yes! What else? We only have one LoveMe section here do we not? Just do it. The president said he needs it by tomorrow. Okay, here are the measurements" he answered as he recited the figures.

After he hung up, it was his turn to wonder. _What am I going to do with this? Another LoveMe member. When will it ever end? _Sawara sighed.

* * *

End of Chapter 1

* * *

Note: This was supposed to be part of my other SB story, but I realized it would be much better for me to write it as another / stand-alone fanfic. Also, this is actually a crossover story with another manga. But since there is no existing record / listing for that manga yet in , this will be just under Skip Beat! I'm still struggling with Chapter 11 of **Reality Bites** so please bear with me. In the meantime, please do read and review. Thanks! - zf


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: THE FOURTH LOVE ME MEMBER  
**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own SKIP BEAT!

**Setting:** After the filming for BJ's movie

Summary: The LoveMe Division welcomes a new member. But why is Kyoko so eager to help her new teammate to graduate? Will they both survive in the end, and possibly find love?

Note: This chapter is dedicated to RenxKyoko's ultimate Fanboy – Yashiro (since I actually forgot to include him in my thought processes as I visualized this story). May his dreams come true, may his fanboy potentials be fulfilled, and may I finally find the courage to post / publish his fanfic (where he will be the main character) which is brewing inside my flashdrive.

* * *

**Chapter 1:** Yashiro's Big Break

Yashiro woke up early, as always. He did his chores, as always, thinking – insisting within his little world – that everything is normal, that nothing is amiss in his organized and calendared life. When Ren picked him up, he greeted his charge like he always used to, settled into the passenger seat as they drove to LME. Up to that point when he and Ren stepped out of the car and entered the building, he was absolutely fine, except for a sort of anxious anticipation that manifested itself as a dull ache at the pit of his stomach. They proceeded to the topmost floor, where the main office of LME's president is located. He tried to engage his charge into small chitchat, more to appease his increasing worry, as the elevator rose. Then a loud 'ding' was heard and his heart almost stopped. The doors opened, the secretary smiled awkwardly and greeted: "Good morning Tsuruga-san, Yashiro-san, please proceed into the main office, the President is expecting you", which barely registered to Yashiro. He only realized he'd been holding his breath the whole time until they finally faced the judgment stand – aka Lory Takarada's table.

"How are you this morning, gentlemen?" the eccentric President asked cheerfully.

"I'm fine Sir" Ren answered politely, without any hint of emotion.

"And you, Mr. Yashiro?" Lory asked, seeing that the manager is already turning blue.

Yashiro finally exhaled "Fi – fi – fine, Mr. President" he croaked.

"Great!" the man exclaimed as he stood up, so far removed from the god who was full of wrath and vengeance, who practically shooed them away less than 24 hours ago.

"Sit down! Sit down! This won't take long, but please relax" he insisted "Sebastian, please pour these gentlemen some drinks" he added "care for some smoke? Oh well, it's still a bit too early, but please indulge me" he offered as he puffed on his cigar. He looked like a fine English gentleman, complete with vest, bow tie and a dangling pocket watch. His mustache even looked good for the part.

"Well, gentlemen, as agreed yesterday, you shall receive your first instructions" he puffed. With a passing look, Sebastian handed him a piece of paper which he examined with growing interest. "Hmm… a meeting with the director of the new drama at 11am, a photo shoot at 2pm, a magazine interview at 5pm.. you keep a good timetable Mr. Yashiro" he commented, raising his eyebrows and looking at the manager.

"Well, uh – I try to do my best, Mr. President, Sir" was the only reply he can muster.

"Good. Cancel the meeting with Director – er—Fuji. Tell him I asked for it, he can't decline. Reset it sometime later. Looks like Thursday will be fine" the President commanded nonchalantly.

Yashiro opened his mouth to protest but then decided against it. Instead, he fumbled for his datebook to find the director's number. He contacted the Director and within 5 minutes another schedule has been set. All the while, their host puffed continuously on his cigar and Ren remained in his seat, without any sign of panic or apprehension. For the first time in his life, Yashiro wanted to shake the younger man into normality. _Does he not know how deep we are into this shit, right now? _ His projected glare was interrupted by Sebastian entering the room. He never noticed the man leaving.

"Ah! It has arrived, finally" their host exclaimed as his right hand man placed a medium sized box on the table.

Both younger men looked at the box despite themselves.

"For this morning, you, Mr. Ren Tsuruga, shall be wearing this" patting the box beside him "as you go about your task here in the office". He did not add any further explanation and they were only left with their own imaginations.

(As we are now looking into poor Yashiro's point of view, let us enumerate his initial thoughts)

_What does that freakin' box contain? A pair of t-shirts saying "Look here! I'm an idiot!". Wait, he only said that to Ren, right? _ He looked at his charge who also seemed lost into similar grim thoughts. _Is it a cosplay costume? An animal costume, perhaps? That would be quite humiliating for Ren's image, but he'd still look quite adorable – that would hardly be a punishment. Maybe a chainsaw? A pair of ankle chains and whips? This is so frustrating…  
_

(Well, what do you expect from a grown man who still reads manga in his free time and whose is hobby fanboying for his charge and a certain LoveMe girl? Back to reality… )

"You'll find out soon enough the details of THIS TASK once you open this box" the man continued with clear laughter in his voice. He seemed to take real pleasure in tormenting both of them. Even Ren had started to show some emotion, though still remained inscrutable.

"You may now leave this room, Ms. Tsuruga. Sebastian, please escort him outside" he instructed.

Ren stood up, barely glancing at his manager, who sat there with wide eyes. Then the two men walked away.

The sound of the shutting double oak doors seemed like a 'swoosh' of an undertaker's blade to Yashiro. But he can only shrink into his seat and imitate the woodwork as the President faced him, sitting at the edge of his desk.

"Now, Mr. Yashiro – hear me out carefully" Lory Takarada said without antagonism.

Yashiro gulped "I'm so sorry for Ren's behavior yesterday your highness, er—Mr. President, sir, but I do want to keep my job here at LME, I hope you will give both of us another chance" he blubbered.

The President looked at him incredulously. "What are you talking about?"

"Well, uh – aren't you going to fire me?"

"Fire you? I'd never do such a thing! You've proved to be a very efficient manager for Ren, and an invaluable source of information!"

For the first time since he entered the room, Yashiro began to feel his extremities. _So this is how it feels to be alive.. again?  
_

"I was not going to fire you, my dear man, but I may think towards that option if you don't cooperate…"

_Or maybe not. _He felt like a rabbit who escaped the fox only to be lured again into its powerful jaws.

"Ha Ha Ha.. " the President exclaimed, seeing his expression.

"I think you'll find some great benefits in cooperating with my plans, Mr. Yashiro. I'm quite sure of it. So, here's what I need you to do… "

* * *

Ren waited patiently at the visitors' lounge, under the watchful eye of President Takarada's shadow. The man never talked and so he didn't try to start a conversation. Besides, he is too worried to talk. He is worried about Yashiro, why the President is taking so long to talk to his manager. He wondered if the President has any right to replace his manager. Then he realized that Yashiro is not the one in trouble, he is. And Lory Takarada is not so petty as to blame his manager for his disappointment. Or maybe not. The whole 7 years he had been closely associated with the man, Ren has never witnessed the President exhibit such anger as what he'd shown the day before. Had he really gone too far this time? He did see through his lies. He was right about 'the story being too close to home'. And Ren can only wait anxiously until his manager leaves the room. This time, he will be the one to ask the questions. And despite himself, a fear had start knotting within him; a deep, almost primal fear.

Seeing his reaction, Sebastian smirked.

* * *

Inside the LoveMe Room, the 3 LoveMe members, all wearing their Pink uniforms, stacked papers diligently. Sawara-san had asked them all to come early. Their schedules have been rearranged so as to make sure that they are all together that morning. It seemed that he will have an important announcement for them.

Kotonami Kanae worked furiously. She was assigned the box containing the fanmail for the members of the Music department. They were to sort the fanmail by category: 'for consideration', 'trash', 'potentially dangerous', and 'for investigation'. Her stack contained a lot of weird but altogether generally harmless fanmails ranging from 'I love your music' to 'Please be my penpal' to 'I wanna birth your children'. So far she had only encountered one threatening fanmail – containing threats of bombing a certain pop star's condo if he sang his number one song in his concert one more time. She had immediately put that inside the box labeled 'potentially dangerous' – the sender of which will be traced and identified for further investigation. Despite the boring task before her, Kanae worked with quite anticipation. When she heard 'announcement' from Sawara-san, she had only thought of one thing: She will be finally getting rid of the hideous pink uniform and be free from the pink curse. And so she waited, suffered Kyoko's pink attack and sorting through mind-numbing fanmails, because she is hoping that the day will end brighter; that she will finally achieve freedom.

Chiori Amamiya was assigned the rest of the Acting Department's fanmail. Even though the number of names assigned to her was more than the one name assigned to Kyoko, her pile was only more than half of the other girl's pile. She did not bother herself with the announcement. She had initially hoped that the announcement would be about the three of them being assigned into just one project and the prospect excited her. Of course she had wanted to act with Kyoko, since Box-R is already nearing its conclusion, but as the time progressed, she had also wanted to act beside Kanae, who proved to be quite formidable herself. The raven-haired beauty is not as talented as Kyoko, who Chiori considered as her role model of sorts, but she is also talented and driven, much like her, and though unspoken, she had regarded the other girl as another rival. She kept her hopes up as she rummaged through her pile, but not as fiercely as Kanae does.

Mogami Kyoko is not worried about the announcement. To her, spending time with her Moko-san, especially now that they have been quite busy and were unable to see each other as often as before, was more important than any announcement. She was assigned the biggest pile under only one name: Tsuruga Ren. She noted that most of the fanmail were nice and respectful (in some sort of way or another – she's not very prejudiced given that her senpai is the most desirable man in Japan). But some were also quite disturbing. One fan wrote that she is the reincarnation of Ren's mole in his left hip. She tried hard to remember if there was such a mole in such a spot and she was pretty sure there was none. She's had, after all, some sort of close contact with many of his body parts during her secret Dangerous assignment as Setsu. One letter asked Tsuruga-san to impregnate her and when Kyoko read it, she almost threw away the piece of paper. _Who in her right mind and complete self-respect ask a man to impregnate her? _ Well, she thought, anyone would gladly bear Tsuruga-san's children.. But then she shook her head. Her senpai is too much of a gentleman to grant any such wish, no matter how nicely written it was. Besides, he already has someone he likes. Somehow this thought made her chest tighten a little. She decided to glance at Moko-san, her beautiful Moko-san, scowling at a fanmail then throwing it into a growing pile beside her. She should just enjoy this morning, she thought to herself. Maybe later she can ask both her best friends to go to her favorite ice cream place with her. This thought made her smile happily.

LoveMe Number 1 was still smiling her cute smile when the door opened, and a tall silhouette entered. It was Amamiya who first reacted. Then Kanae followed suit. When Kyoko looked up, she can only say the same thing that the other two uttered: "HUUUUUHHH?"  


* * *

(A FEW MINUTES EARLIER)

"Please tell me that's not what I think it is" the taller man stated, a slight lilt evident in his voice.

"There's no mistaking it. I'm only visually aware of only one same color" the shorter, bespectacled man answered.

They were peering into the box provided to them earlier. The shorter man was holding it in his arms as they rode the elevator down. They only opened the box after they left the office, as instructed.

"You've got to be kidding me" the taller man replied.

"Nope. I'm quite sure this is serious" the shorter man commented, hiding his glee.

The elevator dinged and the doors opened. A middle-aged man with a well-tidied mustache stood there waiting.

"Are you gentlemen ready?" the man asked.

The shorter man nodded, but the taller man only sighed as they stepped out.

* * *

"HHHUUUUHHHHHH?"

"Ladies, I would like to introduce to you the new member of LoveMe division" Sawara announced, motioning his arm to the much taller man beside him.

"Good morning, ladies. I'll be in your charge for today. Please take care of me" the deep, melodious voice greeted.

"Hn" – a sound escaped from behind Kyoko, who sat nearest to the door. Everyone looked at the source and found Kotonami Kanae holding a hand to her mouth and another to her stomach.

"Hmff" another sound escaped her. She clearly is holding back tears or laughter or both. When she finally snorted, it proved to be the latter.

"WAH-HA-HA-HA!"

Clearly, no similar sound has been heard from her before because everyone else inside the room looked at the young lady with alarm.

"I'm - Ah – Hahaha – I'm sorry.. haha.. fun- funny – haha.. " she apologized incoherently.

Amamiya can only look at the scene unfolding. She decided to write a very detailed account of this event in her journal later.

Kyoko finally looked away from her best friend who is breaking down into a wordless pit of laughter. She looked at the tall man with much concern but can only utter:

"Tsu – Tsuruga-san? Why?"

Just outside the door, the spectacles of a certain LoveMe member's manager gleamed. The man grinned contentedly, like a mastermind - or the mastermind's assistant.

* * *

End of Chapter 2

* * *

No further notes for this one. I'm exhausted but happy. Sorry for the mistakes – I was barely able to edit due to excitement and the lateness of the hour. Enjoy?


	3. Chapter 3

**Title: THE FOURTH LOVE ME MEMBER  
**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own SKIP BEAT! or Hana No Namae

**Setting:** After the filming for BJ's movie

Summary: The LoveMe Division welcomes a new member. But why is Kyoko so eager to help her new teammate to graduate? Will they both survive in the end, and possibly find love?

* * *

**Chapter 3: **Ren's First Mission

The coverall was too narrow at the shoulders. The pants' length was also about 2 inches shorter than what he preferred. A pair of size 13 sneakers was provided, for which he was thankful for, because he's wearing his favorite pair of leather lace up dress shoes which will not combine well with this new get-up. Still, after he had donned the entire ensemble, he looked like an overgrown man who tried to put on clothes meant for someone two sizes smaller; even his black socks were showing. But one thing became certain as he walked down that dreaded hallway frequented by the pink plague: the view of the entire LME population and the showbiz industry towards the LoveMe division has just been drastically changed.

Standing in front of his new 'teammates', though looking forlorn, Ren Tsuruga still managed to keep his cool and gentlemanly persona. Even as Kotonami Kanae, Kyoko's overprotective of a best friend, devolved into a human laughter machine and the other LoveMe member Chiori Amamiya stared at him as if memorizing his every pink-clad body part, and even as his beautiful kohai looked up at him with unconcealed concern in her eyes, he remained standing tall and proud. He smiled only slightly when Kyoko asked him 'Why?'. _Why indeed?_ He is asking the same question.

"Now ladies, after you're done with organizing the fanmail, I want you all to go around and introduce – er- Tsuruga-san to everyone and to show him what exactly we do here in LoveMe" Sawara instructed with discomfort. Ren can only pity the man. He wished he could express that he is in no way offended by the man's actions who is only following instructions from the President.

The previous night, as he lay on his bed waiting for elusive sleep to come, he tried to think of the best course of action. He was not thinking about saving his hide. The President knew him well- too well, for them to have ill feelings towards each other. Therefore he took Lory's ultimatum as what it is: a challenge. If there was any other person constantly aware of his volatile other self behind the Tsuruga Ren mask aside from Kyoko, it was the President. The man knew when he lied about why he didn't want to accept the part. Somehow, he knew that Ren had read the works and had read about Mizushima Kei.

He expected the President to confine him in lead roles for mushy romance dramas for a period of time. Now, he just realized that would be too easy. He already knows how to act 'real love'. But he never, not in his wildest dreams, imagined himself in this angry pink LoveMe uniform.

"Well then, Tsuruga-san, I will leave you in the able hands of my LoveMe girls" Sawara advised as he retreated from the room.

Right then, Yashiro (who was just able to control his giddiness) entered the room to greet everyone.

"Hello ladies, good morning!"

"Good morning, Yashiro-san" Kyoko greeted back, momentarily distracted from looking at her tall senpai.

Kotonami Kanae suddenly stopped giggling and raised her eyebrows.

"Good morning, indeed, Yashiro-san" a male voice growled beside the man, a seething, almost subhuman voice.

"Ah er—"

"So, you're not wearing a uniform, Yashiro-san. Does this mean you're free to do whatever while we try to take care of your charge for today?" Kanae asked accusingly.

Everyone looked at her. Only then did Ren realize that indeed, his manager is free from the pink curse. His shock and amusement over the crazy pink ordeal distracted him from asking what Yashiro and the president have talked about earlier. Surely, it was about him and his LoveMe fate.

"Uhm- no, actually, I am still to serve as Ren's manager. He will be able to keep his current commitments, but he cannot accept new ones, aside from the projects approved and given and the President himself. I am to make sure that he reports to the LoveMe Division for his assignments until he graduates" the manager explained.

"And when will that be?" Amamiya chimed in.

"Pardon?"

"When will he graduate? Does he have to fulfill certain requirements just like everyone of us?" she elaborated.

"Oh, that, yes! Of course! He will be treated like any other LoveMe member. He will not graduate, until, as the President put it 'He finds that elusive emotion called LOVE and choose to express it wholeheartedly'. That's what he said" Yashiro looked proud of himself as he recited.

If Ren didn't know who they are talking about, he would have gagged, stripped off the hideous pink uniform and threw it across the room. But he did none of these. He knows that resisting would mean a more serious punishment that may involve a forced confession and a freaked-out kohai.

"That's good. I'm glad that the President is fair to all of us" Amamiya commented. Kanae, however, kept a wary eye on both men. She somehow sensed something suspicious about the whole affair.

"So, what can I do to help you girls today? I guess I need to accumulate those points if I really want to graduate in this lifetime" Ren said with sarcasm.

Kyoko only looked at him with pity. Then:

"I'm so sorry Tsuruga-san!" she exclaimed right before she executed a perfect dogeza.

* * *

As she executed her dogeza, Kyoko can only think about one thing: she has to memorize this look: Ren Tsuruga in pink LoveMe coveralls – for her next Ren-sama doll. She had practically developed a new prototype, a project started during her stint as Setsu, and had started creating a new wardrobe collection to fit his many faces and expressions accumulated in her memory vault, and this one – the pink-suited one – is a must for her immediate reproduction.

Cute is not totally accurate to describe him, Kyoko thought. Adorable? Perhaps. Totally, magnificently, priceless, indescribable, dream-like. A Prince in Pink!

"Mogami-san, why are you apologizing?" he asked.

Kyoko peeked up at his face. He had that confused expression, similar to when he wondered about the meaning of 'tentekomai'.

"Ah.. uhmm.. Well, wasn't I the one who tried to enter showbiz forcefully, when I really didn't have any talent? And because of that and because President Takarada was just so kind he established LoveMe to give me a chance – in – er- reformation. So if it wasn't for me there would be no LoveMe and you won't have to be banished here to do some unnecessary chores when you're already Japan's number one star!" she answered with conviction.

Everyone turned silent for a few moments as they all looked at her.

Finally, it was Kotonami Kanae who reacted, as usual, in the manner only she can react: "Mo! Are you brain dead? He's here because apparently he lacks love or he doesn't know how to express it. It's not because of you."

"But- but Moko-san.."

"You mean to tell me I am here because of you too? We're both assigned in LoveMe after we both failed the new talents' test, remember? And Amamiya here joined us on her own accord. Now don't tell me that was your fault too?"

"I – " Kyoko thought about this. What her best friend said made sense. But somehow, she felt she's at fault – in Tsuruga-san's case that is.

"Mogami-san, she's right. My being here is in no way your fault. The president just wants to teach me a lesson" Ren confirmed.

"But why, Tsuruga-san? What did you do exactly?" She knows that her senpai understands love but only chose not to express it because he's too much of a gentleman to court a girl 4 years his junior.

"I turned down a drama offer he picked out personally for me" he answered truthfully but did not dare to elaborate.

"But you can do that, right, turn projects down? You're not exactly mere talentos like us" Amamiya countered.

"Well, you see, the project is very close to the President's heart. The drama was developed due to his own efforts. He even begged a very antisocial and introverted man to approve the creation of the drama based on his life story" Yashiro explained on his charge's behalf.

"Ugh, knowing the President, that must be some overly romantic drama based on some true-to-life pseudo-fairytale" Kanae commented.

On the word fairytale, Kyoko's mood suddenly turned into something akin to awe and excitement "Fairytale? I would love to see Tsuruga-san play the Prince or the Prince of the fairies!" she exclaimed, lost again in her dream world. Tsuruga-san in a fairytale prince costume is infinitely more appealing than the one in pink coveralls.

Yashiro snickered beside Ren. The actor can only glare at him. He loathes shattering his kohai's fantasy, but he answered anyway:

"No. It's not like that. It's a dark story about a very real and troubled man"

Kyoko snapped out of her reverie. "But why did you turn it down?"

Ren hesitated. _Because his life reminds me so much of my real life as my real self and my hopeless love for you?_ He can never say that. He can only sigh. "It was just too much for me – the darkness" he answered vaguely. It was a half truth that he wished she would accept. After all, she'd seen him struggle with BJ being Cain. They had slain the monster together. She was even his talisman.

Once again, Kyoko felt warm, knowing and realizing how close to being human her senpai is, how imperfect and how vulnerable. She'd seen this side of him – the unsure, unreserved side. And it made her feel like she wanted to protect him, to shelter him from the world.

She just nodded. She understands. And for a brief moment, he flashed that smile that made her breath hitch and her throat dry and her heart racing.

"Ehem" Yashiro interrupted the coziness threatening to make everyone inside the room dizzy. "So, where do we start? We have a lot of points to accumulate! We gotta start working now!"

* * *

Mizushima Kei had always been a stoic man. He had very few friends – only a handful, really, and most of them barely knew him outside of his professional career. For him, though, his career is not a career. It is his life. Every story he produced, every word and every line, is a reflection of his own existence. He does not consider himself as popular. His novels and short stories do not appeal to the average reader. Despite this, he was hailed as one of Japan's greatest contemporary authors because of his powerful prose and risky themes. He is very traditional; lives in a traditional house, wears a yukata almost all the time, does not own a television, and prefers reading classical works than troubling himself with normal pastimes. And so he was a bit surprised when Tomoji Isaka contacted him. Tomoji is a relatively well-known filmmaker. She had won several awards locally and abroad for her emotionally-charged films. She had read his most famous masterpiece to date: _Hana_, the book which critics acclaimed to be a shining ray of light in his obviously dark genre of writing. The story was a tragedy – about a mentally disturbed man who fell in love with an aphasic girl. The girl died in the end, and the man lay down on a field of flowers near her grave. That simple yet poignant closing in the novel is what made it famous. Many critics had interpreted _Hana_ to be based on Kei's own troubled life and his relationship with a girl, the daughter of his late half-cousin, who is 12 years his junior. Kei never denied or admitted this allegation. His admirers and critics, the whole community of writers and enthusiasts remained bewildered, until, a few years later, they finally announced their engagement and eventually got married. Right after their honeymoon (which was kept a secret as well), Tomoji visited Kei's self-proclaimed best friend and editor, Akiyama, to propose a translation of _Hana _into a film. He declined, of course, but then his editor set a meeting with the said director which he reluctantly entertained. The woman had a no-nonsense aura about her, and had said the right words: "I will not change the story, Mizushima-sensei. It will remain as it is – a mystery. I want to bring your mystery into the big screen". They both knew, of course, there was no mystery. Kei was able to see that Tomoji fully understood the meaning behind his story: redemption from a senseless, purposeless life by another life that is given with love.

A year after _Hana _was released in the theaters and after earning spectacular reviews, Kei was equally surprised when a tall, distinguished-looking man arrived at his doorstep. As he welcomed him and his shadow, the man bowed deeply and said: "It is my great honor, Mizushima-sensei to finally meet you and would be glad for you to hear my purpose of coming to your home". They talked. The man was the most flamboyant and most passionate Kei has ever met. He did not give an answer to the man's prosal. The man said he would wait. Later that day, when he mentioned to Chouko about the visit, her eyes were suddenly on fire which does not happen very often. She was the most behaved, almost too shy, slip of a woman he's ever known. Sometimes he's still afraid of hurting her, of breaking her. But she is also strong. She is his strength, his anchor, his talisman against his darkness.

The next day, after Chouko left for her job at a nursery school, he began his research in the internet. He rarely used this function in his laptop computer. The laptop was a gift from his editor. He was taught by Chouko on how to use the basic functions. Though he is no computer whiz, he is relatively adept in browsing the web. He searched for the name of the man who visited and realized that he is, indeed, quite well-known. Other information provided about him were: eccentric, transformational, successful. His name is also linked to many famous names in the TV and film industry. He said he was a fan of Tomoji's films and when he saw _Hana, _had searched for the author and read Kei's other works. But instead of _Hana, _he wanted to turn his, Mizushima Kei's, life into a serial drama. Never, he thought at first. He would never let anyone invade his privacy. But when he mentioned this to Chouko, including the name of the actor and actress that were chosen to portray the two of them in this so-called drama, she jumped up and began to shiver excitedly.

"Kei-sama" she said "please do consider the man's request". That night he was so troubled. Chouko had never asked for anything. She had remained the most giving, most selfless person in his life. Oh, he knew he'd always been difficult, but she never gave up on him. And so as he watched her sleeping face that night, he made his decision.

Now, he is impatiently waiting beside his dear wife, inside the office of LME's President. The building looked very modern outside, but the office is designed and decorated like the living room of a traditional Japanese abode. There is even a small running stream at one side of the enormous room. Instead of an office desk, in the middle, there is a low table. When they entered earlier, a tea ceremony was performed before they finally settled into their conversation.

"I am so pleased to meet you finally, Mizushima Chouko-san" Takarada Lory greeted. He looked good in his traditional yukata. Kei wished he had donned his own. He feels uncomfortable in his dark suit.

"It is my honor, Takarada-san. I am an admirer of some of your talents and I have followed some of your projects" Chouko answered politely.

"I am so glad to hear that Mizushima-san"

"Please, call me Chouko. Mizushima is my husband's name" she answered, bowing slightly and holding Kei's arm.

"Kei, call me Kei" the author added gruffly.

"Then you should both call me Lory" the man exclaimed looking quite pleased.

"Now, Sebastian, have you contacted our LoveMe pair? We do not want to keep our guests waiting" he asked his assistant.

"Yashiro-san advised that they are on their way, Sir" the assistant answered.

"Tell me, Takarada-san, about this actor you chose for the drama" Kei asked.

"Well, I cannot fully describe him, Kei-san, you should see him for yourself. But I daresay, you two have many things in common"

"Am I right to assume you are talking about Tsuruga Ren, Lory-san?" Chouko asked. A slight blush crept upon her cheeks.

Lory nodded. "You know him, my dear?"

"Uhm, yes, I watched Dark Moon. He was – very – uhm—quite talented" she said timidly beneath the growing blush, which somehow troubled her husband. Sensing his discomfort, she immediately composed herself.

"And perhaps you know Mogami Kyoko as well?" Lory tested.

A short and small, but still audible squeal issued from the young woman. "You mean, Kyo – Kyoko-chan, will—she will play"

"She will portray you, Chouko-san" Lory confirmed.

Chouko could not have blushed more profusely. Kei became even more anxious. He cursed himself for never developing any interest in watching television. He is frustrated for not knowing anything. He desperately wanted to know, to share this with Chouko.

A knock issued from the double oak doors. Sebastian opened them and a couple entered. They were both dressed in coveralls – colored angry, deep, absolute pink.

Kei noted that the man who entered was very tall, a good few inches taller than he is. And the girl, with dyed light brown hair cut short, looked much smaller beside him. But what is most striking, were her honey-gold eyes. She looked intense, fierce, yet gentle and graceful at the same time. There is a hidden strength within her, much like his Chou-chan.

"We are your lovable LoveMe helpers. We are glad to be of service for you today!" they suddenly shouted, complete with hand and feet actions that looked like the combined poses of several action heroes.

"Pffft.. "

Kei and Chouko looked behind them at the slowly devolving LME president. But their eyes went back to staring wide-eyed at the pink-clad pair.

"At ease" Lory snorted, finally able to control his giggling.

"That was one splendid introduction"

The young people groaned at the compliment.

"Now, Mizushima Kei-san and Chouko-san, I want you to meet the two lead actors who will bring your wonderful love story to life – Tsuruga Ren and Mogami Kyoko"

The temperature inside the room dropped. A certain, almost familiar darkness surrounded them. Somehow, Kei became convinced that Lory had said the truth earlier. These two do have a lot in common with him and Chouko, and despite himself, he is now quite interested.

* * *

End of Chapter 3

* * *

If you don't know Kei and Chouko Mizushima, you can try reading about them and their unique love story in _Hana no Namae_. I was inspired by the darkness from Kei's past and its parallelism with Ren's other half – Kuon (no, they don't have similar childhoods, but they both developed into very troubled individuals). Also, Chouko is 12 years younger than Kei, which is why their story affects Ren a lot. I guess I'm in 'let's-torture-Ren mode'.. kekeke


	4. Chapter 4

**Title: THE FOURTH LOVE ME MEMBER  
**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own SKIP BEAT! or Hana No Namae

**Setting:** After the filming for BJ's movie

**Summary:** The LoveMe Division welcomes a new member. But why is Kyoko so eager to help her new teammate to graduate? Will they both survive in the end, and possibly find love?

* * *

**Chapter 4: **Kyoko's Resolution

It was Ren's second day in LoveMe when the call came. Contrary to what others may have thought, wearing the pink uniform wasn't really that bad. Of course, he got the more than occasional dumbfounded stares (no one dared to snicker or point or laugh - he is, after all, still THE Tsuruga Ren and was accorded with great respect, in pink or not in pink) and the weird LoveMe tasks (they had to babysit a group of 20 gradeschoolers who visited LME for their field trip and clean a whole stairwell where two drunk action stars had an altercation and vomited on almost every other corner). He was somewhat relieved that his 'punishment' was even at times, quite enjoyable. And the best part of it was he doesn't need to invent silly reasons to spend time with his kohai.

"Nooooo!" the golden eyed young woman squeaked. She almost dropped the armload of files she was carrying.

The tall actor chuckled; "No matter how much you deny it, Mogami-san, you are my senpai in LoveMe. You were the original member, right? And I'm the newest member. So that makes you my senpai" he reasoned out smoothly.

His companion can only shake her head, but no more words came out of her mouth as the realization of the fact that he just pointed out dawned upon her.

"Outside of LoveMe, I am your senpai. But inside LoveMe, you are my senpai. So that sort of evens out our status, don't you think. So, perhaps you don't need to call me so formally anymore. I think Ren would be just fine". He was treading upon a thin line. But one can only exploit too many chances.

He looked beside him and she was still shaking her head, with a frightened look upon her face. He sighed. Maybe what he asked was too much. He did expect she would be more partial to the idea of being more familiar with him, especially after their time as the Heel siblings. But then she still hasn't changed. He wondered if she will ever see him the way he wanted her to see him. Maybe he would have to wear the pink coverall forever and she still wouldn't see him.

"Just think about it, Kyoko, OK?" he said, with a smile that could melt a million hearts, but with the looks of her was probably pushing her to the brink of a nervous breakdown.

"O- OK" she can only muster in reply.

He tried to chat with her about some other trivial stuff, so as to erase whatever discomfort his initial suggestion has brought between them. They were in the middle of discussing the pros and cons of wearing their pink uniform when the intercom sounded off.

"Calling LoveMe Division members, Kyoko-chan and uhm- er- Tsuruga-san, please report to the LoveMe office right away"

They looked at each other and hurried to their destination.

* * *

It took them another 15 minutes to get back to the LoveMe office. It is, after all, imperative to finish the task before proceeding to the next one. Ren realized that most of the odd jobs around LME given to him were requests coming from people who just wanted to be served by the Tsuruga Ren. It took them a whole ten minutes just to get their LoveMe notebooks stamped (with 100points each, of course). The only good thing about the whole LoveMe affair was that Kyoko always got the score that Ren got whenever they do their tasks together, which meant she always got a perfect grade, though his LoveMe senpai doesn't think of this in the most positive terms. According to her she wanted to get points because of her own efforts and not just because of her association with him. She grumbled all the way to the LoveMe office, about flirty women who kept throwing themselves at him, giving them odd tasks without any real reason but to see the famous actor and molest him. He wished she was grumbling out of jealousy and not because of wasted time and effort. It was another five minutes until they finally reached the very haggard Yashiro outside the LoveMe office.

"Great, you finally came. A call came from the president, you're both asked to report to him for a new LoveMe task" the manager said, out of breath. He looked flushed from running to and fro looking for them, but there's a sort of excited, almost manic quality to his demeanor that disconcerted Ren.

"Then we'll be off. You could have just sent me a text message, Yashiro-san" Ren said

"Well, it's LoveMe business; there are certain protocols we have to follow. But before you go, you have to learn the LoveMe chant" Yashiro said, smiling wickedly.

"The what?" Kyoko asked; a bit alarmed.

"The LoveMe chant" Yashiro repeated. "The President asked me to come up with it. It's very easy, let's go inside and let me show you. From now on you have to do it whenever you report for an assignment"

They trudged to the topmost floor 10 minutes later to be immediately introduced to the couple inside the president's office. And they had no choice but to say their chant. It was more like a cheer, really, with all the hand and feet movements.

"We are your lovable LoveMe helpers. We are glad to be of service for you today!"

"Pffft.. "

The couple looked at the LME president and then back at them (they were still holding their positions).

"At ease" Lory snorted, finally able to take control. "That was one splendid introduction"

Ren took a mental note to fire his manager once he is through with this silliness.

Kyoko just looked sullen, beyond the point of embarrassment. Ren wanted to comfort her, apologize for causing her such misery, but they were currently in a job, in front of the president's guests and it's unprofessional to talk about other matters at the moment.

"Now, Mizushima Kei-san and Chouko-san, I want you to meet the two lead actors who will bring your wonderful love story to life – Tsuruga Ren and Mogami Kyoko"

And that was when the temperature dropped. He was pretty sure his companion was incensed after hearing the words "love" and "wonderful" in one sentence, and he was pretty sure, he was incensed after hearing the name "Mizushima".

* * *

Kyoko could not believe her own capability for cruelty. When she heard the President's introduction, what registered inside her already flustered mind were only the words "wonderful" and "love", and well, just like an automatic response, her grudges awakened. But as the young woman, who's probably not much older than herself, stood up and bowed before them, her grudges suddenly dissipated without further resistance. And they vanished altogether when the visitor smiled.

"I'm so glad to meet you finally, Kyoko-chan" she said.

And immediately, her face was surrounded by lilies and daisies and other nice flowers and butterflies fluttering by - all inside Kyoko's imagination, of course. "An ojou-sama, a real ojou-sama" she murmured.

"AHA! This is wonderful, just marvelous" the President bellowed, ushering the two young ladies to sit.

"I'm so glad you seem to get along so well. I don't think it will be too hard to open up to each other. Mogami-kun, Mizushima Chouko-san will be your coach for your new drama role. So, make sure to maintain this kind of rapport"

"Me? Coach, I couldn't possibly.." the young woman shook her head.

"Hush, my dear lady. She will be playing your character, she will be playing you. And only you can tell her exactly what it was like being you" Lory admonished.

Kyoko, slowly recovering from her fantasies, finally spoke up "Uhm- , I'm still a bit confused about this new role, this new drama you are talking about"

"Well, all you need to know is that you, Mogami-kun, will play the lead role in a new drama based on the true-to-life love story of Chouko-san and Kei-san"

"A- a- love- story?" her grudge alarm pinged, though a bit faintly.

"Uh-huh" the President nodded his head like an eager schoolboy. "And your partner will be Ren-kun. Isn't that right?" Lory asked, facing the young actor who had taken a seat beside Kei with a raised eyebrow.

The actor remained silent, angst written all over his face.

_Oh NO! No, no, not me. I'm so very ill-suited to be Tsuruga-san's love interest. He must be thinking how horrible it would be. _Kyoko thought (of course, incorrectly drawing a conclusion based on her senpai's reaction).

"But- but- , I don't think I'm suited to be Tsuruga-san's pa- partner in a love drama, it's not—suitable for me at all" she voiced out, feeling a little sad despite herself.

Ren immediately tried to school his expression as the President threw him a withering look, but before anyone could react further, it was the pretty lady who raised her voice.

"I disagree, Kyoko-chan. I think you're most suited for the part. We're almost of the same age and build and Tsuruga-san, though as not old as my husband, already looks a bit like him. I saw the difference in your heights and I immediately thought about Kei and me. And you two definitely have this- uhm- this chemistry" she said as she held the Kyoko's hand.

Kyoko almost shook her head violently, but she was too distracted_. Chouko-san is just too cute.. a cute ojou-sama!  
_

Seeing this, Lory chuckled. "I don't think Kyoko-chan needs further encouragement" he looked meaningfully at Ren.

"So, you will do it, then? Will you?" Chouko asked.

Reluctantly, Kyoko nodded. _How could I not?_ _It would be too cruel to say no to her, to such a respectable and nice lady.  
_

Chouko-smiled brilliantly at her, and then she was lost into her fairyland daydreaming once more.

* * *

Kei had never seen Chouko so ecstatic over something. He's a pretty boring man, never liked people, and Chouko, though she has many friends, always chose to be by his side and keep him company rather that go out and socialize and pursue her own interests.

He has asked her, pleaded, to do what she wants and assured her that he will not be bothered. But she just kept on telling him "I am happiest when I am with Kei-san". He feels just a tinge of jealousy, over the young actress Mogami Kyoko, for receiving the smiles that were usually meant for him. But a part of him is also thrilled to see his young spouse so happy. She never had much of a childhood. Her teenage years were spent caring for him, being his housekeeper and basically being more like the adult between the two of them. But now, she had found something to entertain her, something different to enliven her dreary life with him, and he is determined to keep her this way.

"You don't seem too happy with this arrangement" he asked the actor beside him, startling himself for even initiating the conversation.

The young man remained silent, cold, almost distant. But then, he finally replied with equal nonchalance.

"Did the President ask you personally to do this?"

"Yes. You're president is quite- something. I was not originally keen on the idea, but then my wife heard about it and she was so happy I just couldn't say no"

He can feel the actor's gaze on him.

"And I am determined to keep her happy, Tsuruga Ren" he said, finally returning the actor's stare.

"I'm not happy being your 'mentor' and sharing my thoughts with you, especially about me and Chou. But this bit of sacrifice will be tolerable for me if it meant keeping that smile upon her face" he stated, without letting go of the other man's stare.

It was the actor who looked away.

"I don't know about this drama stuff. But I do know words, and poetry, and art. And I can see from here, this young actress who came with you, she has the same qualities as my Chou, my talisman" 

Ren looked back at the author. _Did he just say - ? What did he call her?  
_

Then he looked at the president who sat fondly gazing at the two young women actively chatting their hearts out.

_Does he know? Why did he use that word?  
_

And finally, Lory looked at him with a challenge in his eyes.

Ren looked back defiantly.

The older man smirked. Then he pointed at Ren's chest where the LoveMe logo is emblazoned.

And that's when it finally hit him.

He has no escape. He cannot decline the project. If he did, then he'll get no points. He'll never graduate. He'll remain in LoveMe forever: endless days of pink suits and molestation from desperate LME office workers. And when Kyoko finally graduates.. then what? He'll be left alone to wear the cursed pink jumpsuit.

This is his challenge, his punishment. He has to play the role of Mizushima Kei and bare his heart out in front of Kyoko.

* * *

Lory wanted to laugh at his number one actor's reaction. The young man looked extremely troubled, showing his many faces. _What are you going to do now, Kuon? Will you be able to still hide yourself from your true feelings?  
_

He sipped his tea. Sometimes, it does feel good to be the President of LME.

* * *

They finally finished their conversations over tea. Chouko was delighted to find that Kyoko-chan was more than she had ever expected. Unlike most young stars, the actress was extremely humble and self- effacing. She's so much unlike her scary characters. Inside the young woman, Chouko can see a fierce determination, a courageous soul, and a heart that has an overwhelming capacity for affection.

The actress had looked surreptitiously at Tsuruga Ren for the past hour. Gauging by her reaction, she seemed to be trying to find out about his mood. At certain times when their eyes met, a faint blush crept at Kyoko's cheeks and she smiled differently at the handsome actor. Just as she thought, the two of them are perfect. During the course of their banter, she had looked at Kei, he seemed almost happy, even though he generally dislikes people, especially strangers. But he even smiled back at her and nodded. It meant he approves of both the young actors. Chouko wished that the two men would get along. After all, they both have this sort-of animalistic appeal. Kei, even though he had chosen her to be his wife, had never failed to make her knees feel week because of his stare and his smile. Kyoko, she surmised, is much too refined to show any such kind of weakness, but she can tell that Tsuruga-san is already very near in succeeding to elicit the same response.

Lory Takarada excused himself to attend another meeting, and they finally said their goodbyes. They left the office with both actors and she deliberately made herself fall behind to speak privately with Tsuruga Ren.

"I'm glad you accepted this role, Tsuruga-san" she said, catching the man's attention.

"I can tell that you are struggling with your own feelings about a certain golden-eyed young woman" she said knowingly.

The actor gave her tremulous gaze.

"I think there is nothing wrong with it. You'll find out soon enough how to come to terms with your feelings for her. It took Kei more than 3 years to admit it to himself. By then, I was already an adult, free to choose whatever I want and I chose to be with him. He didn't have any say on the matter. He thought he didn't deserve me. I thought I didn't deserve him. We were quite silly, weren't we?"

They kept walking.

"But in the end it was not about whether or not we deserve each other"

She remained silent for a moment.

"We chose to be together. And that's all that matters"

As they exited the building, Chouko bowed like the respectable Japanese woman that she is.

"So if you're worried about her youth or that she's too good to deserve just you - then make her choose you. If you're pretty sure you can love her without reservation, I think that's what you should do" she said in lieu of a farewell.

"It was nice meeting you, Tsuruga Ren-san".

She gracefully turned away into the arms of her waiting husband.

* * *

"What did you tell him, Chou?" Kei asked.

"Nothing consequential"

Kei raised his eyebrows.

"Nothing you should be jealous about, Kei-sama" she said, embracing his arm.

He groaned like a child at the verge of throwing a tantrum.

She giggled. "I think they'll do great with our characters. Don't you think so? I can't wait to see their happy ending"

"You mean, our happy ending" Kei tried to correct.

"No, no, stubborn man. Theirs. We've already had our happy ending" she said, playfully scolding him.

The author settled into his seat with a smile. She always says the right things to make him feel better; better than himself, better than the world.

"Our ending is more like a beginning though" she added, the last word hanging in the air.

"Uhm- Kei" she said softly.

"Yes, Chou?"

"You're going to be a father" Chouko answered with a small voice.

He suddenly sat up straighter and took her face with both his hands.

"Are you angry?" she asked, tears almost spilling from her eyes.

"No, stubborn woman! Why would I be? This must be the happiest beginning there ever is" he murmured as he pulled her closer into a passionate kiss. In some way, he was glad he accepted the limo ride home offered by the eccentric LME president.

* * *

Kyoko looked at her senpai. She figured he wasn't angry. He's not currently emitting the Demon Lord aura, but it was clear something's bothering him. She wanted to know, of course, but she didn't dare pry. That would be quite presumptuous for a lowly kohai such as her. But then she remembered his words, his effort at being closer to her, even asking her to call him 'Ren'. She shook her head. Again, she's assuming things that haven't been validated and were more likely false.

"Are you OK, Kyoko?" he asked. Her name sounded nice when he said it.

"Uhm.. I just want to apologize to Tsuruga-san. I wasn't thinking clearly, I just accepted the President's offer" she answered without looking at him. "I know I'm not suited to be your partner in the drama, but then, I've always wanted to act with you" she added. That's right, she thought. _I accepted because I want to take up the challenge of acting with THE Tsuruga Ren, and not because of anything really._ Maybe she was a bit taken by the pretty Chouko-san, but in the end, her desire to be recognized by her senpai was real reason why she said 'yes'. But as for why she wanted to be recognized by him, well, that she hasn't figured out. At times, when she feels she's losing her grip on things, all she had to do was think of him and what he would say in such an occasion, and instantly, she would feel motivated. Maybe she wanted to show him that his efforts were not wasted, that his mentoring did result into something worth noting. But then, she also wanted to be with him, stay by him, talk to him. Something pinched the inside of her chest. She looked at him, he was still brooding. He looked as if he was struggling to say something he can't put into words.

Then finally, he said "If you're thinking about why I didn't want to be part of the drama, it's not because I don't want to act beside you. In fact, I would be glad to finally share the lead with such a talent as you".

Kyoko blushed. She almost stammered her disagreement, but he still wasn't finished.

"My reason is much more—deeper than that". Then he said no more.

He looked tired. Clearly, something about the story of the drama affected him. And she recounted the facts: The story was about an author who adopts his half-cousin's orphaned daughter who was traumatized by her parents' tragic death. It took a long time before she came out of her misery and despite her new guardian's coldness, she slowly came to understand and eventually love him. They battled their own demons, both of them. He was battling his past – a mother he refused to love until her death, a father who is also his grandfather, a family who never accepted him. She was struggling to pick up the pieces of her broken life and make him notice her love for him. In the end they realize they cannot battle their demons alone, but that they can only survive by facing life together.

Perhaps the love story was too heavy for Tsuruga-san, she thought. But then his Katsuki was also a very serious and tragic character. Yet he portrayed that character brilliantly. _So why?  
_

And then she thought about Mizushima-san. She wasn't able to speak with him directly. He never said much. It was Chouko-san who seemed quite excited with the project.

_I think you're most suited for the part. We're almost of the same age and build and Tsuruga-san, though as not old as my husband, already looks a bit like him. I saw the difference in your heights and I immediately thought about Kei and me.  
_

She remembered Chouko-san's words. They also said something about him being 11 or was that 12 years older than she is. She imagined them together. She tried to calculate the difference. When Chouko-san was her age, 17, her husband would have been 29. That is one big difference, for overly traditional people. And then she remembered that night after Bridge Rock, when she met her senpai as Bo for the second time and he told the chicken about his affection for a younger girl, a high school girl. Was that the reason why he didn't want to accept? He couldn't play an older man who is hopelessly in love with a younger girl because it would remind him of his own hopeless affection?

She looked up at him again, at his beautiful face, and her heart ached.

She knew what it was like not to be loved back, to be brushed aside. Wasn't that the reason why she swore off love forever and ended up in LoveMe? She can feel his pain in some familiar way. Yet his situation is also quite different. He had never confessed to that nameless girl, had never expressed his affection even though she would definitely accept him. She admires his fortitude, his willingness to suffer not being with the one he loves in order to protect her.

Kyoko wished she can be loved like that.

_WHAT? No, no, no… _she said to herself, horrified. She hasn't noticed the look he was currently giving her as he watched her ever changing expressions.

Her line of thought is going towards the wrong path. She should be thinking about how to help her senpai. Of course, she will have to do this covertly, because he doesn't know that she knows about his unrequited love. Perhaps this task is being given to him to make him understand that he should fight for his love and that the age difference between him and that girl shouldn't matter! And once he recognizes his feelings and chooses to confess, then he can finally be free from the pink curse.

_Just like a prince under an evil witch's curse who needs to find love to break the spell_, she wondered. What is her role then? The Prince's sidecick? The speaking teapot? The magical rodent?

_AHA! I know! I am the Fairy Godmother! (or maybe Tinkerbelle).  
_

With this final thought, she finally makes up her mind: it is now her mission to help Tsuruga-san graduate from LoveMe. 

* * *

End of Chapter

* * *

:) reviews.. please?


End file.
